Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-07-03

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But, as it happened, he was not quite
alone, for, creeping along In the grass and
rubbish that grew on the farther side OF
the wall, his brown body squeezed tightly
against the brown stones-so tightly that
an unpractised eye would certainly have
failed to observe it at distance of a dozen
paces-was the Hottentot Jantje. Dc
~easionally, too, he would lift his head
above the level of the wall and observe the
proceedings of the one-eyed man. APP
parently be was undecided what to do, for
he hesitated q little, and while he did so
Hendrix killed the dog.
Now Jantje had all a Hottentot's natural
love for animals, which is, generally speak
ing, as marked as is the Kaffir's ~callousness
towards them, and he was particularly
fond of the dog Stomp, which always went
out walking with him on those rare oc-
casions when he thought it safe or desirable
to walk like an ordinary man, instead Of
creeping from bush to bush like panther,
or wriggling through the grass like a snake.
The sight of the animals death, therefore,
raised in his black breast q very keen de-
sire for vengeance on the murderer, If ven
geance could be safely accomplished; and
he paused to reflect if this could be safely
done. As he did so Hendrix got up, gave
the dead dog a kick, withdrew his assegai
from the carcass, and then, as though
struck by a sudden desire to conceal the
murder, undid the collar, and, lifting the
dog in his arms, carried him with difficulty
into the house and laid him under the
kitchen table. This done he anne out
again to the wall, which was built Of loose,
unmortared stones, pulled one out without
trouble, deposited the watch and the silver
he had stolen in the cavity, and replaced
the stone. Next, before jamie could guess
what he meant to do, he proceeded to
make it practically impossible for his rob-
berry to be discovered, or, at any rate, very
improbable, by lighting a match, and,
having first glanced round to see that no.
body was looking, reaching up and apply
ing it to the thick thatch with which the
house itself was rooted, and of which the
fringe Just here was not more than nine
feet from the ground. No rain had fallen
at M~ooifontein for several days, and there
had been a hot sun and a dry wind, and,
as a result, the thatch was as dry as finder.
The light caught in a second, and III two
more a thin line of-ire was running up the
roof.
Hendrix paused, stepped a few PAGES
back, resting his shoulder against the wall,
Immediately the other side of which was
Jautje, and proceeded to chucklc aloud
and rub his hands as he admired the results
of his handiwork. This was too much for
the HOttentot ON the farther side. h
prvocation was too great, and so was the
opportunity. In his hand was the thick
stick on which he was so fond of cutting
notches. Raising it in both hands he
brought the heavy knob down with all his
strength upon the one-eyed villains I'M
protected skull. 1t was a thick skull, but
the knob prevailed agalnsti it and fractured
it, and down went the estimable witch
doctor as though he were dead.
Next, taking a leaf out of his fallen
enemy's book, Jantie slipped over the
wall, and, Selling the senseless man, drag
ged him by one arm into the kitchen and
rolled him under the table to keep COM
pany with the dead dog. Then, filled
with a fearful joy, he slipped out, shutting
and locking the door behind him, and
crept round to a point of vantage in a little
plantation seventy or eighty yards to the
right of the house, whence he could watch
the conflagration that he knew must ensue,
for the fire had taken Instant and irremedi-
able hold, and also see what the Beers were
doing.
Ten minutes or so afterwards that
amiable character Hendrix partially re-
gained his senses, TO find himself surround
ed by a sea of fire, in which he persisted
miserably, not having power to move, and
his feeble cries being totally swallowed up
and lost IN the fierce roaring OF the flames,
even had there been anybody there to hear
thenm. And that was the very appropriate
end of Hendrix and the magic OF Hendrix.
Down by the flagstaff the old man lay in
his fit, with Bessie tending him and q posse
of Beers standing round, smoking and
laughing or lounging about with an air Of
lordly superiority well worthy of victOrs IN
possession.
"Will nOnei'of you help me to take HIM to
the house?" she cried. Surely you have
ill-treated an old man enough"
Nobody stirred, not even Frank Muller,
who was gazing at her tear-stained face
with a fierce smile playing round the cor
ners of his clean cut mouth, which his
beard was trimmed to leave clear.
at will pass, Miss Bessie" he said; ut
will pass. | have often seen such fits.
They come from too much excitement, or
too much drink"
Suddenly he broke off with an exaama-
ton, and pointed to the house, from the
roof of which pale curls ofblue smoke were
rising.
"WhO has fired the house?" he shouted.
"By Heaven! / will shoot the man."
The Beers started round and stared in
establishment, and as they did so the finder
like root burst into q broad sheet of flame
that grew and gathered breadth and height
with an almost marvellous rapidity. Just
then, too, a light breeze sprang up from
over the hill at the rear of the house, rs it
sometimes did at this time of the day, and
bent the flames over towards them in an
immense arch of fire, so that the fumes and
heat and smoke began to beat upon their
faces.
ooh, the house is burning DOWN. cried
Bessie, utterly bewildered by this new
misfortune.
"Here, you!" shouted Muller TO the
gaping Beers, go and see if anything can
be saved. Phew! we must get out of this, +"
and, STOPPING down, he picked up Silas
Croft in his arms and walked of with him,
followed by Bessie, towards the plantation
Oh their left, which was the same where
Jantje had taken refuge. In the centre of
this plantation was a littls glade surround
ed by young orange. and blue.gum trees.
Here he put the old man down upon a bed
of dead leaves and soft sptinging grass,
and then hurried away, without a word,
to the fire, only to find that the house was
utterly unapproachable. In fifteen
minutes, such was the rapidity with which
the flames did their work upon the mass
Of dry straw and the wooden roof and floor
ings beneath, the whole of the interior Of
the house was a glowing, incandescent
pile, and in half an hour it was completely
Quilted, nothing being left standing but
the massive outer walls of stone, over
which a dense column of smoke hung like
a pail. Mooifontein was a backened ruin;
only the stables and outhOuses, which
were rooted with galvanized iron, being
left uuinjured.
Frank Muller had not been gone five
minutes when, to Ressie's JOY, her uncle
opened his eyes and sat up.